Statutory Neonatal Care Pay and Leave

Statutory Neonatal Care Pay and Leave (SNCP) is a new statutory allowance arriving in April 2025.  This allowance is focused on circumstances where a baby is born prematurely and hospital treatment may be required.  The intention is to reduce the burden on parents returning to work where there may still be periods of hospitalisation required.

SNCP is going to be paid to those qualifying parents who have a child that requires neonatal care in the first 28 days following the birth of but can be paid for a maximum period of 12 weeks which can be claimed flexibly dependent upon individual parental circumstances.

SNCP should give parents the option to:

• Take up to 12 weeks of paid leave.

• Take SNCP in addition to other leave entitlements currently in operation such as statutory maternity or paternity leave.

• Afford them the ability to find, and spend, more time with their baby in neonatal care at what is most probably a time of great stress.

We do not have full details yet, and there will be requirements both around qualification and notice of leave, but we will provide further details as they become available.  We anticipate Statutory Neonatal Care Leave being a day one entitlement but there will be criteria with the Pay similar to other statutory payments.